Ellie Goulding, Tatler’s dazzling November cover star, is one of the most successful solo artists of her generation. A British singer-songwriter with a sprawling global fan base, her career first took off when she was signed to Polydor Records in 2009 – and she’s gone from strength to strength ever since.
She was honoured with the Critics’ Choice Award at the Brits just a year later, and her debut studio album, Lights, shot to number one on the UK Albums Chart (it’s since sold over 850,000 copies in this country alone). Then there was her much-lauded cover of Sir Elton John’s Your Song, used for that tear-jerking John Lewis Christmas advert, while her second studio album, 2012’s Halcyon, also climbed to number one. Its repackaged edition, Halcyon Days, dropped in 2013, and included the hit Burn, which became Goulding’s first UK number one single.
At the 2014 Brit Awards, Goulding was victorious in the British Female Solo Artist category. Following the release of her third studio album, 2015’s Delirium, she was honoured with her first Grammy nomination, for Best Pop Solo Performance for the single Love Me Like You Do. Now, fans are eagerly awaiting the accompanying tour for her fourth studio album, 2020’s Brightest Blue, which kicks off in October.
As she shines on the cover of the November issue, revisit some of Goulding’s most memorable music videos below:
Your Song
Charmingly unfussy and sweetly sentimental, the video for Goulding’s cover of Your Song was more girl-next-door than musical diva – letting the singer’s moving vocals and authentic charm shine through. Extra points for the cameo from a very adorable kitten.
Starry Eyed
One of Goulding’s early hits, the whimsical, romantic video for Starry Eyed announced her arrival as an exciting young talent on the UK music scene. Complete with some nostalgia-inducing 2010s fashion moments and spacey graphics, one thing that hasn’t dated is the song itself – still as uplifting and catchy as ever.
Anything Could Happen
Debuting a bold new look for Goulding (hello, pink hair), plus marking her most theatrical video to date, the video for Anything Could Happen was the perfect complement to the 2012 hit. Featuring a dramatic coastal landscape, ethereal costumes, fake blood, a car crash, and even Goulding flying through the air in a harness, it’s racked up over 75 million views on YouTube.
I Need Your Love
Pretty much anything Calvin Harris touches becomes chart-topping catnip, and his collaboration with Goulding on I Need Your Love proved just as irresistible. Its accompanying video offered up a sun-soaked, escapist romp that had fans wishing they were off on holiday with the superstar Scottish DJ and the young British songstress.
Love Me Like You Do
More moody and introspective in tone than a number of Goulding’s previous hits (although still with that signature dancey beat), the video for Love Me Like You Do presented the singer in a decidedly more mature, contemplative light. Intercut with contemporary dancers and scenes from 2015’s Fifty Shades of Grey adaptation (in which the song features), it’s also rife with drama and sexual tension. And fans were certainly pleased, with the video garnering over 2,000 million YouTube views to date.
Power
One of the hits from her latest album, ‘Brightest Blue’, Power proves that Goulding does sultry siren just as well as up-and-coming ingenue. Featuring intimate self-shot camera work, slick choreography and glamorous lingerie, this is Goulding all grown up – leaving no one in any doubt that she’s the one with the power.
